Car-roping device



(No Model.)

C. 'LINSTROM.

GAR ROPING DEVICE.

Patented June 22, 1897.

Rms PEIERS 50., wow uwq WASNINETON u c NI'IED TATES ATENT Fries.

CHARLES LINSTROM, OF VICKSBURG, MISSISSIPPI.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 585,114, dated June 22, 1897.

Application filed November 14:, 1896. Serial No. 612,155. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES LINSTROM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Vicksburg, in the county of Warren and State of Mississippi, have invented new and useful Improvements in Oar-Roping Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to roping cars by connecting one end of a rope to a locomotive-englue and the other end to a car which is to be pulled or switched from one track to another, or onto a track at one side of and parallel to the track on which the locomotive-engine stands, for the purpose of switching cars and making up trains.

The chief objects of the present invention are to avoid danger of accidents resulting where switching-ropes require to be tied to car-trucks or draw-heads, and to provide a new and improved device particularly designed to be attached to a freight or other car, whereby the switch rope or cable of the locomotive-engine can be conveniently, quickly, and safely connected with and automatically disconnected from the car without the danger incident to tying the rope to a part of the car, which is the present practice in switchingyards and other places where cars are to be moved or switched.

To accomplish these objects, my invention consists,essentially, in a car-ropin g hook com-- posed of a base-plate formed with right-angled members, one of which is constructed with a laterally-projectin g hook for engaging a ring on a car-moving rope.

The invention also consists in certain other features of construction hereinafter described and claimed, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view showing portions of a freight-car and a locomotive-engine with a rope connected with the engine and with my improved roping-hook on the freight car. Fig. 2 is a detailed side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail top edge View of the improved roping-hook, and Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the same.-

In order to enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will now describe the same in detail, referring to the drawcar, and 2 a part of a tender of a locomotiveengine. The rear end of the tender is provided with a link 3, to which is attached one end of a rope or cable 4, which may be an ordinary fibrous rope or a wire rope or a chain. The other end of the rope is provided with a ring 5, designed to engage my improved ropehook, which I will now proceed to describe in detail. This roping-hook is composed of a metallic base-plate 6, which is formed integral with two members 7 and 8, arranged at right angles to each other and provided with bolt-holes 9 and 10, by which the members 7 and 8 can be bolted or otherwise rigidly secured to the corner portion of the freightcar, preferably at the bottom of the same, as shown in Fig. 2. The right-angled members 7 and 8 are made as a casting, and the side member 8 is formed integral with a lateral extension 12, having one end recessed to provide a hook-shaped portion 13, with which the ring 5 of the rope 4 can be readily engaged. The extension 12 is extended around into the member 7 and constitutes a reinforcing or strengthening rib, by which the metallic baseplate is rendered strong and durable.

I prefer to provide the members 7 and 8, which compose the base-plate,with bolt-holes, as above described, so that it can be secured to the corner of the car through the medium of bolts; but I do not wish to be understood as confining myself to this particular manner of rigidly securing the roping-hook in position on the car, as obviously it can be otherwise secured without altering the scope or spirit of my invention.

The construction of the hook-shaped eX- tremity 13 of the lateral extension 12 is such that the ring 5 will automatically disengage itself therefrom when the freight or other car has been switched onto another track or onto a track parallel with the track on which the locomotive-engine stands, this automatic disengagement occurring when the freight or other car has moved a sufficient distance to place the ring 5 approximately at right angles to the base-plate of the roping-hook.

When a car, one or more, is to be sidetracked or switched onto a track parallel with the one on which the locomotive-engine travels, the ring 5 is engaged with the hooked extremity 13 of the roping-hook and the engine 2 585,11&

is caused to move more or less swiftly for a short distance, when the brakes are applied to quickly stop the same. This operation moves the freight or other car, and the momentum thereof will cause it to run ahead of the locomotive-engine, so that the ring 5 antomatically disengages itself as soon as itassumes a position approximately at right angles with the base-plate of the device. By this means the cars can be safely side-tracked or switched, and the danger of accidents is greatly reduced, due in a large measure to avoiding the necessity of tying the rope to the car-truck or draw-head of the car which is to be moved.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim is- 1. A car-roping hook, consisting of a baseplate formed with right-angled members, one

W. H. Dnrne, G. B. HARPER. 

